What did those poor wrens ever do to you? *
Stephen Sondheim:
Boxing Day is also known as St Stephen's Day or *Wren Day.
Showing posts with label Barbara Windsor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbara Windsor. Show all posts
Friday, 26 December 2025
Monday, 29 November 2021
Sondheim of the Day - Gypsy
Probably one of my favourite musicals of all time, the semi-autobiographical tale of a timid Vaudeville-player-turned-stripping-superstar and her domineering mother, Gypsy was an extremely unlikely storyline for a musical way back in 1959 [hardly the most enlightened of times] - yet, with its book (loosely based on Gypsy Rose Lee's salacious memoirs) by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and the imperious presence of the musical sensation Ethel Merman as its "Mama Rose", it was a huge success.
In a mirror of the plot of overbearing stage mother trying to dominate her children and live her dreams of stardom vicariously through them, it was in fact Miss Merman who pushed the show to be produced in the first place - yet, however, to her eternal chagrin she lost out to Rosalind Russell when it came to casting the film adaptation!
I love Gypsy because of its brash campery, and its plethora of end-of-the-evening arm-stretch-gesturing belt-em-out numbers - and so, Curtain up! Light the lights! Let's start with an unbeatable one:
[Love this - but I'm also rather fond of the Angela Lansbury version]Needless to say, "our gang" went along en masse to see the 2015 West End revival, starring Imelda Staunton, which was utterly phenomenal! - read more about that here.
Fab-u-lous!
RIP, Stephen Joshua Sondheim (22nd March 1930 – 26th November 2021)
[One of a series of tributes I will be posting to Mr Sondheim this week.]
Previous "Sondheim of the Day" entries:
Sunday, 14 June 2020
Once I was a schleppa
Gosh! "National treasure", star of telly, radio and the stage (in his "alter-ego" of Lily Savage, primarily), Mr Paul O'Grady is 65 years old today.
We were only listening to his (currently in "best of" repeats format, since he is "shielding" in isolation during the coronavirus) Radio 2 show this evening. Coincidentally enough, the subject of this episode was Cilla Black, for the clip I have selected by way of a tribute today is an old, old favourite - in which "Our Lil" appears alongside said Cilla and fellow "treasure", Barbara Windsor...
Happy birthday, chook!
Paul O'Grady MBE (born Paul James Grady, 14th June 1955)
More Mr O'Grady/Miss Savage here, here and particularly here
Thursday, 31 December 2015
The House of Windsor
The very best way to end 2015 is with some good news. And courtesy of 'Er Maj...
Arise, DAME Barbara Windsor!
We salute you.
See my tribute to Our Babs on her 75th birthday
Other notable recipients in the New Year Honours List 2016 include Sir Matthew Bourne, Dame Sian Phillips and Imelda Staunton CBE. OBEs go to Damon Albarn, Sue Barker, Idris Elba, James Nesbit, Ronny O'Sullivan and David Oyelowo.
Sunday, 2 August 2015
A true "national treasure" departs
RIP Cilla Black, probably Britain's best-loved all-round entertainer.
Very sad news indeed - the flags are at half-mast here at Dolores Delargo Towers.
Here are some of her most memorable moments...
With Miss Dusty Springfield back in the 1990s:
Winning the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014:
And, finally - that Royal Variety Show performance:
Cheers, chuck! It was a "lorra, lorra laughs".
Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27th May 1943 – 2nd August 2015)
Monday, 26 September 2011
A titter at Wilton's
We met a gay icon yesterday, in the tiny but perfectly formed person of Miss Barbara Windsor (stalwart of Carry On movies and Eastenders)!
She was at one of our (and Marc Almond's!) favourite venues, Wilton's Music Hall (the oldest in the world), to open their "Vintage Open Day" and fundraising cake competition. The building is (understandably) in need of huge amounts of money to bring it back to a suitable state of repair - particularly as it was turned down for Lottery cash last year - and we were more than happy to give generously in aid of such a good cause.
Among the many famous bits of footage that used Wilton's as a backdrop: music videos such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax and Annie Lennox No More I Love Yous, films including The Krays, DeLovely (which was playing on the big screen while we were there), Chaplin, Interview with a Vampire and The Importance of Being Earnest, and TV programmes like Tipping the Velvet and Little Dorrit.
Babs was absolutely lovely, regaling the audiences of her memories of the East End and her love for its history, chatting with everyone who came along, and posing for endless photos. She's tireless!
She didn't actually sing at the event, but I couldn't let a Tacky Music Monday go by without taking the opportunity to feature her lovely tonsils ("Oooo, ta!")...
You can support Wilton's too!
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Three old broads
In these times of doom, gloom, cold weather and redundancy, I cheer myself up by delving into the world of showbiz. And what better way is there?
Here's a fabulous extract from The Royal Variety Show in 2001 that features three of the greatest showgirls ever to work together - Miss Babs Windsor, Miss Cilla Black and... Miss Lily Savage! Enjoy...
Here's a fabulous extract from The Royal Variety Show in 2001 that features three of the greatest showgirls ever to work together - Miss Babs Windsor, Miss Cilla Black and... Miss Lily Savage! Enjoy...
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Carry on Babs!
The lovely Barbara Windsor is 70 years old!
Who would believe that? It must be her East End upbringing (and a much younger husband!) that keeps her looking so fresh-faced and bubbly...
Fag-hag, Carry On star and former associate of notorious gangsters such as the Krays, Babs is one of those national treasures that no-one ever has a bad word to say about. She is scheduled to be amongst the stars of stage, film and TV who will appear in a tribute show in honour of the late John Inman on 30th September at the Lyric Theatre in London, and apparently plans to continue in her role as Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders for the foreseeable future.
Bizarrely, at her birthday bash in London she received an unexpected party crasher - none other than genius author Professor Stephen Hawking! I wonder what they found to talk about? The history of the universe, or just THOSE gravity-defying boobs?
Ten things you never knew about Babs Windsor
Barbara Windsor on Wikipedia
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